Holiday Shipping Deadlines for USPS, UPS and FedEx in 2023

Ding-dong! Delivery! For friends and family far away at Christmas, getting them their holiday gift to unwrap in time takes a little extra planning. That means you need to pack it and get the package on its merry way by a specific deadline — depending on the delivery service, delivery option and expected arrival date. Remember, the longer you wait, the more expensive it will be to ship a package.

Here are the shipping deadlines for 2023:

United States Postal Service (USPS) 

Recommended send-by dates for expected delivery before December 25

For Contiguous U.S. (Lower 48 States):

USPS Retail Ground Service by Saturday, December 16

First-Class Mail Service by Saturday, December 16

Priority Mail Service by Monday, December 18

Priority Mail Express Service by Wednesday, December 20

For Alaska, packages need to be sent by December 16 for First-Class Mail Service and December 18 for Priority Mail Service. And December 20 for Priority Mail Express Service.

For Hawaii, packages need to be sent by December 16 for First-Class Mail Service and Priority Mail Service. And December 20 for Priority Mail Express Service.

For more information about USPS’ holiday shipping deadlines, click here. 

FedEx 

The holiday shipping deadlines are a little more complicated at FedEx because they offer a wide variety of shipping options. Use this helpful guide as a reference.

FedEx Freight Economy by Tuesday, December 12

FedEx Ground Economy by Wednesday, December 13

FedEx Freight by Friday, December 15

FedEx Ground by Friday, December 15

FedEx Express Saver or FedEx 3Day Freight by Tuesday, December 19

FedEx 2Day by Wednesday, December 20

FedEx 1Day Freight or FedEx Extra Hours by Thursday, December 21

FedEx SameDay by Friday, December 22

UPS – United Parcel Service

UPS Ground – Check here for time estimates.

UPS 3-Day Select by Tuesday, December 19

UPS 2nd Day Air by Wednesday, December 20

UPS Next Day Air by Thursday, December 21

For UPS’ full holiday shipping schedule, click here.

Always be sure to properly secure your package to ensure it arrives safely. Choose a strong shipping box and use lots of tape and packing materials.